SIOUX FALLS – The Brookings Junior Legion Chutes went 2-2 in the Sioux Falls Invitational over the weekend.
Brookings lost its first two games to Pierre, 11-7, and then to the Southwest Lakers (Minneapolis), 6-5. The Chutes then beat Rapid City Post 320, 9-0, and beat Providence Academy (Plymouth, Minnesota), 14-2.
The Chutes are now 8-14 on the season and play a doubleheader at Huron on Wednesday. The first game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
Friday
• Pierre 11, Brookings 7
A six-run fifth inning gave Pierre a lead and they were able to hang on for the win.
Pierre scored four runs in the top of the first. Two of the runs came on passed ball’s. Another run came on a single and the final run came from a ground out.
Brookings went down one-two-three in the bottom of the first and Pierre added a run in the top of the second with an RBI single to make it 5-0. The Chutes then got on the board in the bottom of the inning. Winston Plummer singled to begin the inning and later scored on a passed ball to make it 5-1 through two innings.
The Chutes would add another run in the bottom of the third. Nolan Miles hit a two-out single and then scored on a double from Tyson Antonen.
Brookings then took the lead in the fourth. Jared Erickson hit an RBI single and Tate Helmbolt scored on a sacrifice fly from Jack Merritt. Owen Schneider also scored on the play because of an error from the catcher and the game was tied 5-5. Antonen then hit a two-run single to give the Chutes a 7-5 lead going into the fifth.
Pierre would get the lead right back as it scored six runs in the top of the fifth. A two-run single tied the game two more two-run singles gave Pierre an 11-7 lead, which they would hang on to the rest of the way.
Antonen went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Erickson was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Addison Ronning and Plummer each went 1-for-2 and Miles went 2-for-4.
Schneider got the start for Brookings and pitched the first four innings. He gave up five runs, one earned, on two hits, with eight strikeouts and four walks. Griffin Bartels pitched the final three innings and gave up six earned runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.
Saturday
• Southwest Lakers 6, Brookings 5 (8 inn.)
Brookings fell behind 5-1 through three innings and was unable to complete the comeback as Southwest scored the game-winning run in the eighth inning on a single.
The Chutes scored a run in the top of the first. Merritt walked to lead off the inning and then scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0.
Southwest would take the lead in the second with three runs. The runs came on a hit by pitch and two walks with the bases loaded. They then added two more runs in the third on two ground outs to make it 5-1.
Brookings would then cut the lead to 5-4 in the top of the fourth. Schneider hit a double to lead off the inning. He then scored on a Sam Johnson single and Johnson later scored on a Merritt double. Merritt would then score on an error to make it 5-4.
The Chutes would tie the game in the sixth. William Conrad walked with one out and then scored on a Miles single to make it 5-5. Neither team would score in the seventh before Southwest won the game in the eighth.
Merritt and Johnson were each 2-for-4 with an RBI. Miles was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
David Brink pitched the first inning and two thirds for Brookings. He gave up three earned runs on one hit, with one strikeout and one walk. Miles pitched the final five and a third and gave up two unearned runs on three hits, with three strikeouts and five walks.
• Brookings 9, Rapid City Post 320 0 (4 inn.)
Sam Johnson gave up no hits in three innings of work as Brookings shutout Rapid City in its third game of the tournament.
Brookings scored four runs in the first. Merritt hit a single to lead off the inning and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Jacob Kahle. Miles then hit a double and scored on a single from Schneider. Erickson followed that with a single of his own and Schneider scored. Antonen pinch ran for Erickson and scored on an error to make it 4-0.
The Chutes extended their lead to 6-0 in the second. Helmbolt singled to lead off the inning and then scored on a Kahle single. Kahle later scored on a Schneider ground out.
Brookings then pushed the lead to 9-0, which would be the final, in the third. Kahle hit a two-run single with two outs and Miles followed that with an RBI single.
Johnson had four walks and four strikeouts to go along with the no-hitter.
Schneider was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Kahle was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Miles was 3-for-3 with an RBI and Erickson was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Sunday
• Brookings 14, Providence Academy 2 (4 inn.)
A nine-run fourth inning ended the game as the Chutes won via the 10-run rule in their final game of the tournament.
Providence scored two runs in the top of the first. Brookings would answer with a run in the bottom of the inning when Erickson scored on a Schneider sacrifice fly.
Brookings would then gain the lead in the bottom of the third. Erickson and Miles led off the inning with back-to-back singles. They would then both score on a Schneider double to make it 3-2. Schneider scored on a David Brink sacrifice fly and Johnson scored on a ground out to make it 5-2 through three innings.
Then came the nine-run fourth inning. Johnson hit an RBI single and Brink followed with a two-run double to make it 9-2. Brink would then score on a ground out and Bartels followed with an RBI single. Bartels and Merritt scored on an error and Erickson scored on a wild pitch for the final run of the day.
Schneider and Brink were each 1-for-1 with three RBIs. Miles was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Johnson was 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Izaya Dandurand was 1-for-2 with an RBI and Bartels was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Ronning pitched all four innings for Brookings and gave up two earned runs on five hits, with five strikeouts and three walks.
